Worcestershire
Is this it for Worcestershire?
There are still nearly two months of the season to go, but after a poor Twenty20 campaign and its impact of stalling the Championship form it is already a case of looking to 2014
Craig Nicholson
07-Aug-2013
I suppose I should have expected this really. While several of my Supporters Blog counterparts look forward excitedly to the closing weeks of the season I'm left with that familiar feeling of emptiness. Somerset blogger Nicky's brave acceptance of her crickoholism followed by James' joy at an exciting month ahead for Durham only made me feel worse.
Here we are in the second week of August and all Worcestershire fans have to look forward to is the completion of a scar on the landscape masquerading as a hotel. Even the Ashes offers no prospect of a thrilling end to the season following a premature, if slightly clumsy retention for England. Soon the footballing behemoth will engulf us again (not that it ever really went away) and we will be counting down the months until April all over again.
Of course it didn't have to be like this. After a surprisingly impressive first half of the season I hoped against hope that Worcestershire would offer fans at least a gentle push at promotion, only to see our hopes dashed in the late September gloom against a formidable Northamptonshire foe.
Full postCompton guests with style and grace
Worcestershire have taken great pleasure in hosting the touring Australians since 1902 - but it's another guest who has been the talk of the town
Craig Nicholson
08-Jul-2013
It's rare as a Worcestershire fan to have an opportunity to discuss the England Test team with reference to goings on at New Road. The last Worcestershire player to put on the England whites was Kabir Ali in 2003 and of the current squad Moeen Ali seems to possess the most realistic prospect of a future cap, after a terrific summer so far.
So this week, with the Australians in town, and Nick Compton 'guesting' for the Pears we've had the chance to ponder the treatment of an adopted son.
The man of the moment has conducted himself with style and grace, befitting the class act he is both on and off the field. Not only did he score an elegant 81 on Wednesday but he also took to Twitter to thank Worcestershire "for having me" ahead of the final day.
Full postRichardson heroics buoy mood
The batting remains a concern and promotion looks unlikely but there have been a few recent bright spots for Worcestershire fans
Craig Nicholson
10-Jun-2013
I came dangerously close to penning a blog full of optimism following the nail-biting nine-run win against Warwickshire in the never-ending YB40. It was one of those rare days at New Road where the sun shone, the stands were full and our noisy neighbours were sent home with their tail between their legs.
Defeat inside three days at Northampton, however, has tempered that joy somewhat, after a much-improved month. It was a timely reminder that we are not genuine promotion contenders, nor should we focus all our energies on an immediate return to Division One. We could learn a lot from Northamptonshire. Ashley Lambell outlined in his recent blog the impact that overseas signing Trent Copeland has had and they have put together an excellent unit that will surely return to Division One after nearly a decade away. It wasn't so long ago that Northants were suffering an identity crisis of their own, with a side overflowing with Kolpaks, but they have rebuilt impressively.
My overarching concerns about this Worcestershire side remain. We are still far too reliant on senior players performing time after time to drag us through games - thankfully those stand-out individual performances have come thick and fast recently. I can't have been alone in wondering whether Alan Richardson's powers were on the wane having managed just six wickets in the opening four Championship games. Four games later only former Pear Steve Magoffin has more first-class wickets than the 39-year-old.
Full postWhat is the point of Worcs?
If Worcestershire's aim is simply to live on handouts and avoid the wooden spoon, criticism of their county status may be justified
Craig Nicholson
02-May-2013
You know things aren't going well when your season looks in disarray before the home fans have even witnessed a ball bowled in anger.
Worcestershire's enforced early season tour has allowed developments at New Road to continue apace. But it's the developments on the pitch that have left Pears fans searching for answers a mere three weeks into the new campaign.
A hard-fought (albeit rain-affected) draw against a much-fancied Lancashire side provided hope that an immediate return to Division One was possible. But thumping defeats in Cardiff and Southampton have provided stark evidence that a side that managed just one Championship win last season may not fare much better in the second tier.
Full postRebuilding on and off the pitch
Worcestershire's 2013 prospects previewed by the ESPNcricinfo Supporters' Network
Craig Nicholson
08-Apr-2013
Even the most optimistic Worcestershire supporter would admit that a season of rebuilding lies ahead - both on and off the field. Too good for Division Two but not good enough to test the real big boys; yo-yoing remains an all too familiar pastime at New Road. A miraculous escape from the trap door in 2011 was false promise and a desperate 2012 saw the Pears implode and prove everyone right by finishing rock bottom of Division One. A rare appearance in the T20 quarter-finals was a minor highlight in an otherwise forgettable summer.
A first season in 18 years without the elegant Vikram Solanki holding together the middle-order means the talented Moeen Ali and Alexei Kervezee must finally realise their obvious potential. At 25 and 23 respectively, they can't cling to their 'promising youngsters' tags much longer. That said, Moeen proved his worth with the ball more often than with the bat last summer.
Daryl Mitchell is an impressive, home-grown captain and proof that hard work and mental strength are just as valuable as natural talent in carving out a county career. He will miss his opening partner from last season - the run machine that was Phil Hughes. Although, in truth even he wilted under the burden of carrying his team-mates in late summer as relegation became inevitable. His return to the Australia Test side was well deserved and much celebrated in these parts but left us with a huge hole to fill. Whether the hugely experienced Sri Lankan Thilan Samaraweera can do so, while improving his moderate record in England, remains to be seen.
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